{"id":145,"date":"2026-06-02T23:12:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T23:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2026-06-02T23:12:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T23:12:40","slug":"blanche-says-anti-weaponization-fund-not-moving-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=145","title":{"rendered":"Blanche says ‘anti-weaponization’ fund not moving forward"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department is scrapping its plans for a $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d after a wave of bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n

Read more He hasn\u2019t been seen in months. The Congressional Record disagrees<\/a><\/p>\n

His comments mark an abrupt reversal for the Justice Department amid criticism that the money would amount to a slush fund aimed at funneling taxpayer dollars to supporters of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not moving forward with the fund, period,\u201d Blanche told Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., during a House Appropriations subcommittee oversight hearing of the Justice Department.<\/p>\n

Not moving forward ever? Meng asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cCorrect,\u201d Blanche said, adding the fund had not been set up yet.<\/p>\n

The idea for the fund was outlined as part of a settlement in the unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit that Trump brought against the IRS earlier this year, a scenario in which Trump sued the same federal government he oversees.<\/p>\n

Although the fund appears dead, Blanche told lawmakers a second order tied to the settlement agreement would stay in place. That order, which was signed by Blanche, outlined a sweeping settlement pledge in which the IRS is \u201cforever barred\u201d from \u201cexaminations\u201d against Trump, certain members of his family, the Trump Organization or \u201crelated or affiliated individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the full House Appropriations Committee, appeared exasperated at Blanche\u2019s testimony that he would not rescind the second order, slamming the document as a form of tax immunity to Trump and his family members.<\/p>\n

Blanche objected to the characterization, saying it was not a \u201cforward-looking document\u201d and would not give immunity in the future to the president, his family or his organization.<\/p>\n

Read more Pulte pick raises concerns about DNI independence<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d had rankled Republican members of Congress and drawn outrage from Democrats who said it amounted to open corruption, with the goal of channeling taxpayer dollars to administration allies. The status of the fund has played a key role in the current debate over a reconciliation bill.<\/p>\n

Criticism against the fund only intensified after Blanche last month declined to guarantee that the money would not go toward rioters who assaulted police during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.<\/p>\n

The fund also faces legal challenges. In one, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia temporarily blocked the Trump administration from creating or operating the fund.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department, days after the ruling, said it \u201cdisagrees strongly\u201d with the decision but would \u201cabide by the Court\u2019s ruling.\u201d<\/p>\n

The court\u2019s ruling did not close out the case, prompting speculation over whether the administration would continue to pursue the fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cNotwithstanding what we do in those litigations and defending our rights and making sure our rights are protected, we\u2019re not moving forward with the fund,\u201d Blanche told the lawmakers Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Read more Executive order sets voluntary cyber reviews for advanced AI<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department is scrapping its plans for a $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d after a wave of bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill. His comments mark an abrupt reversal for the Justice Department amid criticism that the money would amount to a slush fund aimed at funneling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress"],"yoast_head":"\nBlanche says ‘anti-weaponization’ fund not moving forward - American Industry Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=145\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Blanche says ‘anti-weaponization’ fund not moving forward - American Industry Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department is scrapping its plans for a $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d after a wave of bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill. 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